Internal-combustion engine.



F. A. w'unmsou. INTERNAL COMBUSIION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILEDAUMQ. 1916- 1,224,254. g Patenved May1,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

- FdflC/S H/anM/kinsan n or w F. A. WILKINSON.

INTERNAL COMBU SIION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-9. l9l6.

1,224,254. Patented May 1, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

in the county of Hertford, England, have UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS ALAN WILKINSCN, OF HATFIELD, ENGLAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGIN E.

Application filed August 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS ALAN WIL- KINSON, a subject of the King of Great Britaim, and resident of'The Meadows, Hatfield,

invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating toInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a convenient and simple method of and apparatus for usin relatively crude or heavy oils as fuel in internalcombustion engines for motor cars, motor boats, aeroplanes and so forth.

One object of the invention is to enable an engine designed to work with light motor spirit such as petrol, to be modified with but small expense or alteration so as to work with oils such as crude petroleum or kerosene.

A further object-is starting of the engine to provide for the with the kerosene or a the like by the.use ofexternal heat such as can be provided by a heating coil supplied 1 neously by a wirepassing through a metal tube 13.

with electric current from a battery.

Another obgect-is to provide for the sup-; ply of some 0 r the fuel directly to the induc tion pipe leading to the inletvalves of the gine when this is required as in re-startmg after a short stop or slowing down, but

' while the engine is still warm.

paratus in section on'the severe The manner in whichthese and other ob jects are attained will be apparent from the A following description with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention as applied to the en ine of a motor road vehicle.

In the drawings :--Figure 1 is a general view in side elevation of an engine modified according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows an end'view of a ortion of the ap- 'ne A-B of Fig. 1;- Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a modification; Fig. 4 shows to a larger scale the electricheating 'vessel; Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6 a lanview, showing to a larger scale the fitting connec d to the mduction pipeof the engine; igs. 7 and 8 are detail views illustratin a jacketed carburetor and a jacketed air inlet respectively.

The invention isshown in 'Fig. 1 as aplied to a four-cylinder engine of a wellknown type. 1 is the induction pipe conthe mixture to the inlet valves of the cylinders, and 2 is the exhaust pipe Specification of Letters Patent.

spring Patented May 1, 1917. 1916. Serial No. 113,916. V

leading away from the exhaust valves of the cylinders. 3 is the air pipe which is generally arranged with its principal inlet around the exhaust pipe so that the air will be somewhat ieated where it isdrawn in,

while there may be an auxiliary inlet for cold air as i1 .dicated at 4. 5 is the float chamber of tie carbureter receiving liquid.

fuel throughe pipe 6 from a tank 45 in the usual manner. In the normal working of the engine son e of the air is drawn from the is provided in the induction pipe controlled by an arm 9 LIld pivoted lever 10. 'In 'or- ,der to control the proportionofair passing directly and through the branch 8 to the induction pipe, other throttle valves,'the stems of which are indicated at lland 12in Fig.

1, may be provided, these being. intercon nected as shown and controlled simulta- In adapting; such an engine for working withkerosene the construction 'is modified. as follows In the exhaust pipe 2 a hole is made "and a small pipe 14 is fitted with its end projecting therein so as to take in a small propoition of the gases passing through the pipe 2. A valve is provided at 15 in the pipe 14 for controlli the flow of the exhaust qgases .therethroug the valve being manipt lated for-instance by a wire passing through with an arm 1 7 on the valve stem. The pipe 14 leads into across-piece 19 best seen in Fig. '6. One branch. of this cross-piece mar ed 20 in Fig. 6, leads into the induction pipe 1, and v'hen the valve 15 is opened it admits some ixhaust gases through the pipe '14 into the induction pipe 1. branch communicates through a pipe 21 with a vessel 22 shown to a largerscale in Fig. 4. A valve having an arm 23 controlled by a wire passing through a tube 24,

cuts off or op :ns communication between the vessel 22 and the pipe 21 as required. The

said vessel; Such a coil can readily be made a' tube 16 and engaging.

Another 35 hoids the valve tightly upon its seating. In the vessel 22 is an electric heat.- ling coil 25. made" for instance of Nicrome wire and adapted to heat the kerosenein the the following manner.

to effect the required heating when supplied with current at say (3 or 12 volts from a battery. The vessel 22 communicates at the bottom through a pipe 26 with the bottom of the float chamber 5, so that the kerosene normally rises in the vessel 22 to the same level as that in the float chamber 5, for instance so as just to cover the heater coil 25. A wire .28 leads from, the battery 18 to an insulated terminal 27 connected to one .end of the coil 25. The other end of saidcoil is connected to the cover 29 of the vessel 22, and this is connected through its attachments to the frame of the vehicle which constitutes the return to the battery, although of course a separate metallic return circuit may be provided if preferred.

The remaining branch of the cross-piece shown in Fig. 6 has a-valve or cock 30 upon it which when opened communicatesw th the air in order to provide for the admission of additional air with the exhaust gases through the cross-piece into the induction pipe. In place of an adjustable air valve as above described, an automatic valve 49,

Fig. 8, may be used which is normally drawn toward its seat by a spring, the suction ofthe engine then automatically governing the opening'of the valve and the admission of air.

The' control wires carried through the metaltubes 13, 16 and 24 are connected as usual to control buttons or levers -on' the dashboard of the car, and at the other are connected to the valve levers as shown.

Stone 31 onthe wires'prevent them from bebent meta-l pieces 32 .are made L-shaped or channel-shaped in section in their middle portions so as tonbe rigid enough to support the tubes 16 and 24 securely, and they provide a convenient method of supporting the same without any additional attachments or fittings, beyond what are necessary to attach'the cross-piece 19 to a socket on the nduction pipe 1.

The apparatus above described operates in When the engine is cold and it is required to'start it, the valve 15 is closed if this is found necessary, and

the current is switched on from the battery I 18 on the car, and passing through the resistance wire 25 it heats the kerosene in the vessel 22. If the battery is only such as is provided for lighting purposes on motor cars, three or ,four minutes may be required for the heating operation with the current reter, and also with air entering through the valve30 if it is opened. The mixture thus formed will ignite in the cylinders and the engine will start up without further trouble. As soon as the kerosene is hot the electric heater coil 25 may be cut out of circuit, and the engine may 'be started; the valve in the pipe 21 may be closed, after which a combustible mixture will be made with kerosene in the carbureter, and this mixture passing through the induction pipe 1 to the cylinders will be heated by exhaust gases coming through the pipe 14, and diffusing into the said mixture, so raising its temperature to that at which it will be readily combustible in the cylinders. The admission of some air through the valve 30 is important, as unless some air is admitted at this point the combustion is liable to be incomplete, at any rate with some types of engines. The adjustment of the valve 30 enables the admission of auxiliary air at this point to be controlled until the best results are attained for any particular car, and until the exhaust is practically invisible, combustion being as .complete aspossible. For some cars however, the use of the.auxiliary air valve 30 wire if desired, but this is not usually nee-- essar as the valve can be set by hand in a position which will suit the car under most circumstances, and the adjustment will not need disturbing as a rule. The electric heater for starting is not necessarily arranged in a separate vessel 22 as shown, but it may be inside the float chamber 5, or in a socket member attached to the said vessel. In Fig. 3 a modification is shown in which it is assumed that the electric heater 42 is contained in the float chamber 5 and in this case a branch pipe 36 which may lead out of the chamber from below the liquid level therein, is carried up ast a valve 37 and to the cross-piece 19 so t at heated kerosene is passed directly from the float chamber to thefitting on the induction pipe when required at starting. The pipe 36 need not necessarily lead out from below the liquid level in the float chamber, but it may lead out from the top thereof as indicated at 38, Fig. 7, because although the liquid is not normally up to the level of the top of the chambeigiyet when the suction of the engine is applied, the level of the liquid rises and it is drawn up to the outlet at the top. The same action occurs in the case of the vessel 22 shown in Fig. 4, the outlet from which is at the top. Experimental use of the apparatus has shown that it is desirable also to have the possibility of drawing up kerosene into the inlet pipe at any time during running if the engine should be slowed up, or if it is started again after a short stop when it has only partially cooled, and the connection 36 is useful for this purpose even if there is no electric heater in the float chamber, as by opening the valve 37 more fuel isenabled to reach the engine through pipe 36, than could reach it through the jet of the c'arbureter. 'IJhcarbr'xter may be made as shown in fig. 7, with a jacket 43 heated by exhaust gases or hot water from the engine in the well known wa and the air admitted to the ,tting 19 may also be heated by an exhaust J acket 4:4 or otherwise if desired as indicated in .Fig. 8. Kerosene as sold for'burning purposes varies a good deal in specific gravlt'y-; according to its source and treatment, and for some of the-heavier varieties it may be desirable to heat the kerosene before it reaches the carbureter. It is well known how tovdo this by an exhaust jacket or by carrying the pipe leading the fuel to the carbureter through or around a portion of the exhaust pipe, or by heating the parafiin in the supply tank by electrical or other eans. For instance, in Fig. 1, the dotted ines 46 indicatean electric heating coil-in the tank 45, while dotted lines 47 indicate a coil through which some exhaust gases can be passed, the flow being controlled by a s If an electric heater is not available, the

engine can be started in various ways. It

is well known forexample to use .a blow-- lamp flame or the like for heating" up the vaporizer or. the induction pipe 0 gen engine before starting. when kerosene is used,

and if a blow-lamp is to be employed in- {he resent case for'sta-rting purposes it will pre erably be used to heat the cross-piece 19.

' l this is to be done thecross-piece may be melosed in a suitable casing lined with asbestos if required and provided with an opening to admit the flame "of the lamp. Again, there are various other possible ways of starting, for instance by priming the Cylinders with petrol or the like throughand to have an electric heater for starting purposes as already described.

The heater Sll')\Vll in-Fig. 4 is conveniently arranged s) that the coil is readily accessible when required, the cover 29 being screwed into the vessel 2:2 and the coil being attached to terminals on the cover. It will be apparent however, that the heater coil might be arranged in other ways to serve the same purpose. \Vith the electric heater may be uesd any known or suitable device which will act as an automatic cutoff when the temperature rises sufliciently so that zit shall not be possible to waste electric energy in the heater after the engine has been started and is running normally.

Various devices are known for similar pur poses, operated by thermostats for example, and they will need no description here. Probably a small lamp 50, Fig. 1, in the circuit from the battery to the heater,'indieating to the driver when the heater is in use, would be, at that is necessary to prevent a mistake of this character being made.

Although kerc sene has been principally referred to as the fuel which is to be used, it will be undemtood that heavy oil fuels may be employe-lkifthey are heated in a preliminary operation; and where kerosene is referred to in t llS specification, it is therefore to be understood that the term is used to include various; other substahqgs of a like nature which ca not normallv b""used.in

an internal combustion engine without some special provision for heating.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 7 1. The combinz tion with an internal combustion engine having a carbureter, a float chamber for supplying fuel thereto, an induction pipe lea ling to the inlets of the cylinders, and an exhaust pipe leading away from the outlets c f the cylinders, of a fitting communicating with the induction pipe between the carbur eter and the inlets of the cylinders, a by-p iss pipe leading from the exhaust pipe to such fitting, and means for conve ing fuel from said float chamber to Eaid tting, and ineans for controlling such 2. The combination with an internal combustion engine hiving'v a carbureter, a float chamber for supplying fuel thereto, an induction pipe lea ling to the inlets of the cylinders, and an exhaust pipe leading away from the outlets f the cyllnders, of a fitting communicating with the induction pipe between the carbui eter and the inlets of the cylinders, a by-p iss'pipe leading from the exhaust pipe to such fitting, means for conveying fuel from said float chamber to'said' fitting, and meats for heating the fuel be fore it reachesthe said fitt1ng. 3. The'combimtion with an internal combustion engine having a carbureter, a float chamber for supplying fuel thereto, an induction pipevleading to the inlets of the cylinders, and an exhaust pipe leading away from the outlets of the cylinders, of a fitting communicating with the induction pipe between the carbureter and the inlets of the cylinders, a by-pas pipe leading from the exhaust pipe to such fitting, a pipe leading f piece one branch of which is adapted to be" from the float chamber, a vessel with which said pipe communicates, an electric ieating coil in saidve'ssel, a pipe leading out from said vessel to said fitting, and meansfor controlling. the flow of the fuel throifgh said pipe to the fitting.

4L A fitting applicable to internal combusj tion engines for facilitating the use of heavy fuels therein, said fitting com'p'risinga cross-f piece one branch of which is adapted to be attached to'the induction; pipe of the engine, a pipe, and a valve there n communicating} with a second branch-'ofth'eicross-piece, said pipe belingaida ptedto communicate with the exhaust pipe'}of an engine,

munic'atlng' with a-th r b pie :e," ja chamber-jinj said supplying fuel "thereto, j the same, and a.valve for cntrolling the flow ipe, j means for "of 'fuel therethrou W 5. A fitting ap ncable to internal comb istion engines for-facilitatingc'the use of heavy fuels thwlnfi'aid fitting co'mprisingga cross- {another pipe contra ciofthe 'cross-i fuel therethrough, and an air inlet and valve communicating with the fourth branch of i said cross-piece, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth. a

' 6. A fitting applicable to internal combustion engines for facilitating the use of heavy fuelstherein, said fitting comprising a, crosspiece one branch of which is adapted to be attached to the induction pipe of the engine,

with a second branch of the cross-piece, said .pipebeingl adapted to communicate with the exhaust'pipe bf an engine, another pipe communicating with a thirdibranch of the crosspiece, a chamber in said, pipe, means for: .supplying'fuel thereto, :mea/ls'for' heatmgi the same, and a valve for controlling theflow of fuel therethrough, and means'for'com trolling said valves, consisting of wires. connected to the valves, tubes through which said wires pass,and brackets clamped to said pipes and supporting the-ends of said tubes.

T FRANCIS ALAN WILKINSON.

apipe and a valve therein'communicating r 

